WO2014131094A1

WO2014131094A1 - Breathing insulating glass unit

Info

Publication number: WO2014131094A1
Application number: PCT/BG2014/000011
Authority: WO
Inventors: Iasen MARKOV; Bistra PETKOVA; Dimitar IVANOV
Original assignee: Markov Iasen; Petkova Bistra
Priority date: 2013-03-01
Filing date: 2014-02-25
Publication date: 2014-09-04
Also published as: BG111415A

Abstract

A breathing insulating glass unit in which, with the help of one or more openings, the inside pressure is equalized with the ambient pressure which prevents deformations in the elements of the unit and in case of employing a supplementary flexible (elastic) chamber, gases like argon, krypton, etc, may be used without observing any substantial changes in their concentration for extended periods of time.

Description

BREATHING INSULATING GLASS UNIT

Field of the invention

The invention relates to the field of construction of glazing windows, doors, etc. Background of the invention

Currently insulating glass units are used the main feature of which is that the area between the glass panes is airtight. The disadvantages of such glazing are connected to the differences in the pressure between the panes and that of the environment. The variation of the temperature inside the insulating glass unit and the changes in atmospheric pressure, which depend also on the elevation above sea level, leads to the contraction or expansion of the air and/or gas in the unit and from there to:

- Deformations of the glass sheets which lead to skewing the image;

- Transfer of air and/or gas from the glazed unit to the environment because of the greater pressure inside the unit that outside and vice-versa as well as transfer of water vapors through the gasket from the ambient atmosphere into the insulating glass unit;

- The gaskets are subjected to constant shrinking and expansion which leads to their faster wear and to leakages in the air tightness of the unit which cannot be predicted neither in time nor by location. The result from this leakage is expressed in the daily expansion of the air and/or gas in the unit due to the rising temperatures leading to the emission of air and/or gas in the environment. When the air and/or gas in the insulating glass unit cools it contracts and sucks air from outside but also, possibly, moisture from rain or from condensing. All of this leads to the shortening of the useful lifetime of the glazing unit and the use of gases like argon, krypton, etc., becomes pointless; economizing on energy becomes impossible as a result of the lowered coefficient of heat transmission in some gases when compared to air;

- In case of sharp temperature changes, changes in atmospheric pressure or high winds the glass panes may break. Technical essence of the invention

The major objective of the invention is to eliminate the above described disadvantages by designing a construction consisting of at least two window sheets (double glazing), where the internal pressure is permanently leveled with that of the environment.

This task has been resolved with the inclusion of one or more openings, through which a part of the heated air and/or gas inside the unit exits the chamber until the internal pressure is equalized with the ambient pressure and during temperature drops, air and/or gas is being sucked inside until the two pressures - internal and external - are balanced.

The task has been solved with the help of one or more openings made in the popular insulating glass units which serve to let out air and/or gas from the unit when the inside pressure is higher and - reversely - sucking in air and/or gas inside the unit when the ambient pressure is higher.

Examples of embodiment of the invention

Example 1

An insulating glass unit of the popular type in the frame of which - on one of the remote angles - an angular profile is placed with an opening. This opening can be fitted with a filter which protects against the entry of dust and insects in the unit or with some water proof material. With such a construction, having a controlled air- tightness, the insulating glass unit will be protected against the influx of water while the absorbent, located in the remote frame, will consume the daily effects of moisture for a long exploitation period. This design can be applied only to insulating glass units filled with air.

Example 2

The incoming and outgoing air from the unit passes through a supplementary chamber filled with an absorbent. The chamber may be installed to the side of the glazing unit, between the panels and the profile of the wall frame. It can be replaced periodically or it can be filled with a fresh absorbent. The chamber of the window frame may be used as a supplementary chamber. This variant can be applied only to insulating glass units filled with air.

Example 3

An insulating glass unit with an opening is connected hermetically to a supplementary chamber made of a flexible (elastic) material. When the pressure in the unit rises relative to the ambient pressure, a part of the air and/or gas from the unit passes into the supplementary chamber which then expands and changes its volume but the pressure in it and in the insulating glass unit are equal to the ambient pressure. When the pressure in the unit falls below the level of the ambient pressure the air and/or the gas from the supplementary chamber returns back to the inside of the insulating glass unit. This option is possible when the unit is filled with argon, krypton, etc., because - as there is no difference between the pressure in the unit and the supplementary chamber relative to the ambient pressure - no gas can be transferred from the insulating glass unit and the chamber to the immediate environment and, reversely, air and water vapors into the system.

Application of the invention

According to the invention, insulating glass units will be manufactured as per the popular technologies with the use of the same elements and materials but one or more openings will remain unclosed in the remote frame or such openings will be made, which may be fitted with one or more filters or one or more supplementary chambers containing an absorbent or one or more flexible (elastic) chambers.

Description of the appended figures

Figure 1 - Cross section of a non-airtight double glazing

- Item 1 - glass and/or polymeric sheets

- Item 2 - separator

- Item 3 - Drier, the quantity and absorption capacity of which guarantees the elimination of moisture of the enclosed air and of the air entering the construction for the provisioned lifetime of the construction

Item 4 - Gasket Figure 2 - Longitudinal cross section of a non-airtight double glazing

- Item 5 - angular profile for assembling the separator in a frame

- Item 6 - angular profile with an opening in the corner

- Item 7 - angular profile with an opening on the longitudinal side

Item 8 - connecting profile with an opening

Figure 3 - Partial cross section of a window frame

Item 1 - profile of the window frame

- Item 2 - "breathing" insulating glass unit

- Item 3 - flexible polymeric chamber in a contracted (constricted) state after the air and/or gas has been sucked from it in conditions of higher atmospheric pressure and/or temperature drop of the air and/or gas in the unit.

Figure 4 - Partial cross section of a window frame where the flexible (elastic) chamber is shown after having accepted part of the air and/or gas from the insulating glass unit as a result of a rise in atmospheric pressure and/or an increase of the air and/or gas in the unit. The flexible chamber may be a polymeric sleeve, airtight at both ends, with a contact orifice (4) and an airtight coupling (clipping) of the flexible chamber to the "breathing" unit. One insulating glass unit may have one or more flexible chambers. Each of these chambers may have a length equal to the given side of the window frame to which it is attached. Its cross section may be such, that after filling with air and/or gas it will be housed in the free area between the glazed unit and the window frame.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A breathing insulating glass unit, characterized in that it features one or more openings, for letting out the air and/or gas in case the inside pressure is higher than the ambient pressure and - reversely - letting the air and/or gas inside the unit when its pressure is lower than that ambient pressure thus creating a permanent balance of the pressures in and outside of the window unit.

2. A breathing insulating glass unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that it consists filters which can me mounted on the opening/openings for protecting the insulating glass units from dust, insects and water.

3. A breathing insulating glass unit according to claim 1, characterized in that to the opening/openings can be fitted one or more supplementary chambers containing absorbent which form drying the air incoming and outgoing to and from the insulating glass unit.

4. A breathing insulating glass unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that one or more flexible chambers which are mounted to one or more openings in the insulating glass unit and which expand when letting air/gas out of the unit until equalizing the internal pressure with the ambient pressure and when the unit pressure falls the same air and/or gas is returned back to the unit until equalizing the internal pressure with the ambient pressure whereupon the chambers constrict.